In addition, the WCP Cup Organizing Committee would like to comment on the circumstances of the game between Team Poland and Team Sudan which has been getting some social media discussion as well as media attention.

During the middle of the second half there was a scuffle between the two teams that resulted from a hard tackle followed by an equally hard retaliation. Various players from both benches came together with a little pushing and shoving. While there were individuals from both teams that were involved in the scuffle, there were also a significant number of players and coaches from both teams that kept cool heads and assisted in defusing the situation. As a result of the scuffle, the referee analyzed the situation and ejected four players (two from each team) from the game.

The WCP Cup Organizing Committee would like to be clear that while a scuffle like this is not a typical occurrence and not what the WCP Cup multicultural sporting event likes to see, it was by no means an event that went beyond the normal scuffles that happen in all levels of competitive sporting events (soccer, hockey, basketball, co-ed touch football, etc.). The referee dealt with the situation, applied the laws of the game and the game resumed play.

The game resumed play and approximately 15 minutes later, an entirely separate incident occurred that was not associated with the previous scuffle. Another hard tackle occurred by a Team Sudan player against a Team Poland player. As a result of the tackle, the referee game the Team Sudan player a red card and ejected him from the game. As a result of the ejection, the Team Sudan player struck the referee.

At the time the referee was struck, there was only a short amount of time left in the game and as a result, a decision by the officiating crew was made to end the game. Prior to this decision, the Team Sudan player left the field of play (which is required as a result of an ejection).

The WCP Cup Organizing Committee would like to be clear that the incident where the referee was struck was not associated with the previous team scuffle. When the game was ended, both teams very admirably separated themselves in order to make sure further incidents did not occur. Both teams eventually made their way back to their respective dressing rooms without incident. The fans and cultural communities for both Team Poland as well as Team Sudan, while stunned by the way the game ended, remained respectful and positive and stayed true to the WCP Cup vision that all cultural groups can come together in a respectful and peaceful way.

The WCP Cup Organizing Committee takes the position that the striking by a player of an official is outside of the scope of the game and as such, the local authorities were contacted by the WCP Cup Organizing Committee. The player who struck the referee had already left the Team Sudan dressing room prior to Team Sudan as a whole returning following the game being called and as such was not able to be interviewed by the local authorities upon their arrival. The WCP Cup Organizing Committee has cooperated with local authorities and will continue to cooperate in the future if so requested.

The WCP Cup Organizing Committee would like to thank the various members of both Team Poland and Team Sudan who assisted in calming the situation down and making sure that further incidents did not result. The WCP Cup Discipline Committee will review the five ejections and will deal with those situations as is deemed appropriate.

1 comment:

Anonymous
said...

Dear WCP Cup Organizing Committee,How can an organization whose vision is, as you state, “that all cultural groupscan come together in a respectful and peaceful way” speak about the harm done to itsemployee, i.e. the referee, and the violence that occurred of its matches with suchmuted tones?Let’s first consider the referee, the man YOU ASSIGNED to ensure this vision ofrespect and peace was maintained. What did he get for his services? The Police saidhe was assaulted – knocked unconscious even! Was this a “peaceful way” for a playerto handle a difference of opinion? What “peace” did he display?Why aren't you objecting to this assault on the integrity of a man in the strongestpossible terms? Who in their right mind would referee your games when you offerso little support other than to say that striking a referee is “outside the scope ofthe game”?Your statement refers to a “scuffle” and “a hard tackle followed by an equallyhard retaliation.” Yet you say at the end of the match the teams “...remained respectfuland positive and stayed true to the WCP Cup vision”? Where was this respectfulnessevident earlier when the “little pushing and shoving” occurred? And how can this incidentbe considered “little”? There were four players sent off!No matter what discipline you intend to mete out, one fears whatever deterrenceyou expect to instill will be lost on everyone because your statement, your first andonly chance of making an impression, was so weak. It effectively condoned the actionsof the players or downright dismissed the entire incident.